Activating Social Empathy

Social Empathy Education

The promotion of empathy among adolescents is a priority area of work undertaken by the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre (UCFRC). Researchers at the UCFRC have spent the last number of years studying the development of empathy among young people and understanding the barriers to empathy promotion. The focus on empathy, specifically, social empathy, recognises the growing importance, nationally and internationally, of the need for competencies in social and emotional learning across formal and non-formal education targeted at adolescents. Programmes fostering Social and Emotional Learning incorporating humanistic and citizenship education are increasingly part of the curricula in schools and youth NGOs and are a key priority for UNESCO’s transformative education agenda and SDG 4.

Launched in October 2022 by actor Cillian Murphy, Ionbhá: The Empathy Book for Ireland is a companion to the Activating Social Empathy curriculum that includes contributions from well-known figures and everyday citizens.

The Activating Social Empathy School Programme

Activating Social Empathy (ASE) is a social and emotional learning resource for post-primary schools, that aims to promote empathy and increase social responsibility values and behaviours among students. ASE aims to equip students with the knowledge and confidence they need to interact with others in more caring, respectful, and constructive ways, and motivate them to engage in more prosocial and civic actions within their schools and communities.

As part of the ASE suite of free, accessible resources, there are currently two ASE programmes available to schools:

A four-session introductory course on empathy for Junior Cycle students, available here.
A more advanced ten-session micro-module on understanding and promoting social empathy for Transition Year students, which is available on request.

A Community Programme, intended as a resource for youth workers working with youth in non-formal education settings, is also available. A key objective of the ASE team is to mainstream social empathy education in schools, teacher education, and youth work.

The ASE resources were developed by academics at the UCFRC, in collaboration with researchers at Pennsylvania State University, and our applied community partners, Foróige - Ireland's largest youth organisation.

Meet the ASE Team

ASE Team

‌The ASE schools programme is supported by the Irish American Partnership.

‌

Information for Schools

A sample of the type of activities included in the Activating Social Empathy programme is available here‌.

Social Empathy

Empathy refers to our ability to recognise, understand and share the thoughts, feelings and perspectives of others

Contact

For more information about the Activating Social Empathy (ASE) programme or empathy research please contact Dr. Charlotte Silke: charlotte.silke@universityofgalway.ie